[1]Kolkata’s scope as a creative muse recently got a new vigour as a handful of young bloods decided to view an old city with a fresh outlook. To say that their endeavour culminated in an interesting kaleidoscope of moods and moments would be quite appropriate.
The exhibition titled Fotowalas: Same City New Perspectives, organised by Paroma Neotia was recently held at Jhaal Farezi, currently the much talked about culinary destination in town. Trained under Saurabh Rungta of Kriya Studio, not less than 12 photographers who have settled for the label Lightchasers, are behind this somewhat different collection of photographs. The young enthusiasts exploring the place and its people made sure that their cameras strike a fascinating conversation wherever they focused.
Their mentor too sounds confident when questioned about the risk of repetition while opting for a subject that is more than 300 years old and much explored. He says, “The fact that these are young and amateur photographers on a creative pursuit makes the entire exercise stand out. They are brimming with fresh ideas and excitement. And from the artistic point of view, Kolkata’s canvas is too vast to reach a saturation point.”
Sharing his views, Rungta says, “In a subtle manner, the collection makes an effort to present the many facets of the place. There is no particular theme; rather the city and the diverse options it provides, have been the focus. The group carried the idea of ‘Revivalist Kolkata’ as fodder for their inspiration. Their enthusiasm and the cameras did the rest of the job.”
“In a way, it is a reminder that the old world charm that was a part of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen’s films still exists. The images from north Kolkata, especially areas like Sova Bazar, the majestic Jora Sako Thakur Bari, the remnants of the Raj era and the ordinary homes and dingy lanes, all create an everlasting impression. And frankly, for those who do not consider it ‘as happening’ as Delhi and Mumbai, the photographs deliver a message, that goes: ‘The city is happy in its own space’. There is a gamut of flavours as the lens creates a perfect balance between the bygone days and contemporary times,” he adds.
As one passed by the frames, it was apparent that the photographers have discovered Kolkata coming alive right at the crack of dawn with images of morning walkers, some of them starting their day with meditation and yoga, the faithful busy reciting from a sacred book, the vegetables vendors doing business as usual. Moving to other sites, a theatre artiste dressed as Birbal, a generous woman feeding stray dogs against the backdrop of the magnificent Victoria Memorial, the Christmas festivities at landmarks like Flurys, Park Street, a man reading a newspaper at leisure, a group in an adda session (casual conversation), crows making a neat row on a cable wire, are some of the images that remain in the mind long after one has left the venue. The quintessential Kolkata snapshots of the Howrah Bridge, the tram and the artisans at Kumar Toli come in a different angle as well.
High on energy and ideas, besides Neotia, the talented team includes Ronak Gadhia, Vidushi Jalan, Nischay Nathany, Naman Jain, Puravi Nath, Yoshita SarafAdisha Jain, Varnika Poddar, Ananya Agarwal, Siddharth Suhasaria, Richa Agrawal.
“It was a memorable experience and we came to realise quite a few things. For instance, the morning walkers usually comprise senior citizens. They were very encouraging and gladly posed for us without any fuss,” recalls Neotia.
“New vistas of the city, which we pass by regularly but hardly spare a moment for, opened to us. The moment we took a pause and viewed it through the lens, Kolkata looked different and the effort was worthwhile,” she added.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/a2jpg-111